If karaoke makes you queasy — that is, if you don't relish the thought
of standing onstage with a giant room full of strangers staring you down
while you butcher "Rollin' in the Deep" — then what you need to do is gather
ten of your closest friends and head to PJ's for karaoke, which starts
promptly at 9 p.m. every Friday. Your pals can sit on the old couch in
front of the stage and cheer you on, and they'll probably take up about
half the space in the bar's intimate upstairs area, leaving less room for
strangers who are surely judging you. Just kidding, but PJ's does get packed,
so get there early, like 8:30 p.m. That'll give you enough time to stock
up on liquid courage, too.

Friday nights at PJ’s are a lesson in the human condition. On every
other night of the week, the first floor of the creaky converted house
functions as a sports bar for the Montrose old guard. They’re getting beers
in plastic cups from PJ and smoking on the front porch.

On Fridays, there is karaoke upstairs. Karaoke that is ordinary but
somehow also stunning. Like public singing at any other bar, most participants
are somewhat drunk and men playing crotch guitar with the mic stand is
not unusual. But unlike some karaoke bars that are filled with shiny 20-somethings
taking shots, people from all walks of life come to PJ’s and bare their
souls.

A large man named Marcel, who is wearing an oversize black and gold
embossed T-shirt, might imbue Garbage’s #1 Crush with a surprising amount
of passion while another guy celebrates his birthday by screaming Audioslave.
At PJ’s, it’s difficult to predict what will happen on stage.

The man who takes the requests and runs the show happens to have a wonderful
voice and often accompanies singers on a second microphone at his seat
to make up for any hesitation or bad vocals.

Others don’t need any help, and can handle Linda Ronstadt perfectly
on their own.

Given that PJ’s looks a lot like a seedy basement, with rainbow lights,
covered windows and low-slung futons, it’s an unexpected place to be confronted
so honestly with the vagaries of the human heart. Then again, it might
be one of the most natural.